Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Socially mediated plasticity of chorusing behavior in the gladiator frog Hypsiboas rosenbergi

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
acta ethologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Competition for mates often occurs in social settings composed of many displaying males. While this poses some special challenges for communication, the proximity of other males may also provide information that chorus participants may use to adaptively adjust their calling behavior to the local level of competition. Conducting behavioral observations in natural choruses as well as playback experiments with focal males, I investigated socially mediated plasticity in the calling behavior of a neotropical gladiator frog, Hypsiboas rosenbergi. In natural choruses, male call rate was negatively correlated with the distance to the nearest calling neighbor, suggesting that the presence and distance of competing males influences call rate in this species. In a playback experiment that tested for the effect of the presence and competitiveness of rivals, H. rosenbergi males proved able to quickly notice changes in their acoustic environment and to respond to those changes in a graded fashion. As competition increased (either by increasing the number or attractiveness of the simulated rivals), males raised their calling rate; as competition was reduced, males lowered their calling rate. This indicates that males can perceive changes in their social environment and modify their calling behavior in ways that reflect the level of competition in the chorus. This socially mediated plasticity in calling behavior may help males to economize their energy reserves.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andersson MB (1994) Sexual selection. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Arak A (1983) Vocal interactions, call matching and territoriality in a Sri Lankan treefrog, Philautus leucorhinus (Rhacophoridae). Anim Behav 31:292–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bastos RP, Alcantara MB, Morais AR, Lingnau R, Signorelli L (2011) Vocal behaviour and conspecific call response in Scinax centralis. Herpetol J 21:43–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Bee MA (2007) Selective phonotaxis by male wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) to the sound of a chorus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 61:955–966

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benedix JH Jr, Narins PM (1999) Competitive calling behavior by male treefrogs, Eleutherodactylus coqui (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Copeia 1999:1118–1112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernal XE, Akre KL, Baugh AT, Rand AS, Ryan MJ (2009) Female and male behavioural response to advertisement calls of variable complexity in túngara frogs, Physalaemus pustulosus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 63:1269–1279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bosch J, Márquez R (1996) Acoustic competition in male midwife toads Alytes obstetricans and Alytes cisternasii: response to neighbor size and calling rate. Implications for female choice. Ethology 102:841–855

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brenowitz EA (1989) Neighbor call amplitude influences aggressive behavior and intermale spacing in choruses of the Pacific treefrog (Hyla regilla). Ethology 83:69–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brepson L, Voituron Y, Lengagne T (2013) Condition-dependent ways to manage acoustic signals under energetic constraint in a tree frog. Behav Ecol 24:488–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brooke PN, Alford RA, Schwarzkopf L (2000) Environmental and social factors influence chorusing behaviour in a tropical frog: examining various temporal and spatial scales. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 49:79–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne PG (2008) Strategic male calling behavior in an Australian terrestrial toadlet (Pseudophryne bibronii). Copeia 2008:57–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dapper AL, Baugh AT, Ryan MJ (2011) The sounds of silence as an alarm cue in túngara frogs, Physalaemus pustulosus. Biotropica 43:380–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerhardt HC, Huber F (2002) Acoustic communication in insects and anurans: common problems and diverse solutions. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerhardt HC, Daniel RE, Perrill SA, Schramm S (1987) Mating behaviour and male mating success in the green treefrog. Anim Behav 35:1490–1503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerhardt HC, Roberts JD, Bee MA, Schwartz JJ (2000a) Call matching in the quacking frog (Crinia georgiana). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 48:243–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerhardt HC, Tanner SD, Corrigan CM, Walton HC (2000b) Female preferences based on call duration in the gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor). Behav Ecol 11:663–669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giasson LOM, Haddad CFB (2006) Social Interactions in Hypsiboas albomarginatus (Anura: Hylidae) and the significance of acoustic and visual signals. J Herpetol 40:171–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Given MF (1993) Vocal interactions in Bufo woodhousii fowleri. J Herpetol 27:447–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goutte S, Kime NM, Argo IV, Argo TF, Ryan MJ (2010) Calling strategies of male túngara frogs in response to dynamic playback. Behaviour 147:65–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenfield MD (1994) Cooperation and conflict in the evolution of signal interactions. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 25:97–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Höbel G (1999) Facultative nest construction in the gladiator frog Hyla rosenbergi (Anura: Hylidae). Copeia 1999:797–801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Höbel G (2000) Reproductive ecology of Hyla rosenbergi in Costa Rica. Herpetologica 56:446–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Höbel G (2008) Plasticity and geographic variation in the reproductive ecology of gladiator frogs, particularly Hypsiboas rosenbergi. In: Natural and cultural history of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica. Pp 329–334. Biologiezentrum der OÖ Landesmuseen, Austria

  • Höbel G, Gerhardt HC (2007) Sources of selection on signal timing in a tree frog. Ethology 113:973–982

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez PT, Narins PM, Lewis ER, Moore SW (1988) Acoustically induced call modification in the white-lipped frog, Leptodactylus albilabris. Anim Behav 36:1295–1308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kluge AG (1981) The life history, social organisation and parental behavior of Hyla rosenbergi, a nest-building gladiator frog. Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 160:1–170

  • Martins M (1993) Observations on nest dynamics and embryonic and larval development in the nest building Gladiator frog, Hyla faber. Amphibia-Reptilia 14:411–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy CG (1994) Determinants of chorus tenure in barking treefrogs (Hyla gratiosa). Behav Ecol Soc 34:285–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfennig KS, Rapa K, McNatt R (2000) Evolution of male mating behavior: male spadefoot toads preferentially associate with conspecific males. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 48:69–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosso A, Castellano S, Giacoma C (2006) Preferences for call spectral properties in Hyla intermedia. Ethology 112:599–607

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan MJ, Keddy-Hector A (1992) Directional patterns of female mate choice and the role of sensory biases. Am Nat 139:S4–S35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan MJ, Rand AS (1998) Evoked vocal response in male tungara frogs: pre-existing biases in male responses? Anim Behav 56:1509–1516

  • Ryan MJ, Tuttle MD, Taft LK (1981) The costs and benefits of frog chorusing behavior. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 8:273–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz JJ (1986) Male calling behaviour and female choice in the neotropical treefrog Hyla microcephala. Ethology 73:116–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz JJ, Buchanan BW, Gerhardt HC (2002) Acoustic interactions among male gray treefrogs, Hyla versicolor, in a chorus setting. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 53:9–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swanson EM, Tekmen SM, Bee MA (2007) Do female frogs exploit inadvertent social information to locate breeding aggregations? Can J Zool 85:921–932

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taigen TL, Wells KD (1985) Energetics of vocalization by an anuran amphibian (Hyla versicolor). J Comp Physiol B 155:163–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tarano Z (2002) Vocal responses to conspecific call variation in the neotropical frog Physalaemus enesefae. J Herpetol 33:615–620

  • Tárano Z, Fuenmayor E (2009). Calling patterns in male responses to conspecific playbacks in the Johnstone’s Whistling frog Eleutherodactylus johnstonei. Ethology 115:747–757

  • Toledo LF, Haddad CF (2005) Acoustic repertoire and calling behavior of Scinax fuscomarginatus (Anura, Hylidae). J Herpetol 39:455–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wells KD (1988) The effects of social interactions on anuran vocal behavior. In: Fritszch B, Wilczynski W, Ryan MJ, Hetherington T, Walkowiak W (eds) The evolution of the amphibian auditory system. Wiley, New York, pp 433–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells KD (2001) The energetics of calling in frogs. In: Ryan MJ (ed) Anuran communication Smithsonian Institution, Washington, pp 45–60

  • Wells KD (2007) The ecology and behavior of amphibians. University of Chicago Press

  • Wells KD, Greer BJ (1981) Vocal responses to conspecific calls in a neotropical Hylid frog, Hyla ebraccata, Copeia 1981:615–624

  • Wells KD, Schwartz JJ (2007) The behavioral ecology of anuran communication. Pp. 44–86, In: Narins, PM, Feng AS, Fay RR, Popper AN (eds) Hearing and sound communication in amphibians. Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (Vol. 28). Springer-Verlag, New York

  • Wells KD, Taigen TL (1986) The effect of social interactions on calling energetics in the gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 19:9–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I thank Günter Ehret for loan of equipment, and the Verein Regenwald der Österreicher for permission to work at La Gamba Biological Station. Rafael L. Rodríguez S. helped with logistics and improved earlier drafts of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioural and Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA

    Gerlinde Höbel

Authors
  1. Gerlinde Höbel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerlinde Höbel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Höbel, G. Socially mediated plasticity of chorusing behavior in the gladiator frog Hypsiboas rosenbergi . acta ethol 18, 145–152 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-014-0199-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-014-0199-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation